Orathic

Name

Orathic (also called the Stone-Tongue by non-Orasians) is the primary spoken and written language of the Orasians, believed to be shaped directly by the resonant flows of the earth itself.

Classification

Geomantic Language; Non-phonetic Script; Vibrational Transmission

Spoken Characteristics

Orathic is characterized by deep, resonant tones that echo within stone structures. Spoken words are shaped by the pitch, rhythm, and tonal quality of the speaker’s voice, and meaning often changes depending on the space in which it is spoken.

• Resonance-Dependent: Meaning can vary depending on echo feedback.
• Tempo and Silence: Long silences between words are grammatically significant, often used to denote emphasis or reflection.
• Monotonic Pacing: Orathic avoids inflection; variation in tone is used for grammar rather than emotion.

Written Form

Orathic is primarily written through **chiseling geometric glyphs** into stone. The language uses shape, orientation, and material resonance rather than alphabetic letters.

• Chiseled Glyphs: Angular, non-phonetic symbols arranged in spirals, grids, or concentric circles.
• Material-Sensitive Meaning: The type of stone used to inscribe glyphs can influence meaning. Basalt inscriptions carry authority; limestone denotes personal or poetic text.
• No Paper Tradition: Orasians reject transient materials—writing on parchment or hide is seen as an affront to permanence.

Variants

• High Orathic: Used in ceremonial rites and official decrees. Requires harmonic chanting and structured silences.
• Common Orathic: Spoken in everyday use; more fluid and pragmatic.
• Resonance Code: A form of silent communication using tapping and vibration through stone—often used by subterranean messengers or in sacred spaces where speech is forbidden.

Grammar and Structure

* Lacks tense: Time is expressed cyclically (e.g., "before the breaking," "during stillness").

* Noun-focused: Sentences are built around objects and geological states, not actions.

* Verb forms are modal and often fused with subject indicators via tonal modulation.

Cultural Usage

• Oath Language: All legal and spiritual oaths must be spoken in Orathic within echo-bound chambers.
• Memory Stones: Historical and genealogical records are kept via Orathic inscriptions in stone archives.
• Ritual Performance: Music and speech are often interwoven—many ceremonial declarations are sung or chanted with resonance tools.

Example Phrases

• Thar’un ekh Vall’kar – “Stone endures beneath the breath of wind.”
• Morak-ha Terasil – “We are the silence within Terasil.”

Influence

Other subterranean peoples, including some Minthari guilds, use simplified Orathic for trade or ceremonial negotiation. Full fluency, however, is rare outside the Orasian population due to its reliance on geomantic awareness.